Kids recess in Canada has no legal protection. No legislation. Some schools have it. Some do not. A researcher who has been in this field for twenty-five years says that matters more right now than it ever has.

The mental health case is direct: anxiety, isolation, lack of movement, and screen time are already pulling in one direction. Taking recess out adds fuel. Chicago removed it for forty years. Canada has no guardrails preventing the same thing.

The playground paradox lands here too. The old equipment looked dangerous and built resilience. The asphalt schoolyard looks safe and produces kids with no sense of their own physical limits. The research says less equipment makes children less safe, not more.

Topics: kids recess, children’s mental health, playground safety, school play, unstructured play

GUEST: Dr. Lauren McNamara | recessprojectcanada.com

Originally aired on2026-05-26